News has been around that Islam has supposedly been banned by Angolan government officials. However not only has the government denied this but now some of the leading Muslim figures from Angola community have come out and said that this news is not correct. The government has not closed or demolished all the mosques there and the religion is certainly not banned.
The government had simply started a crackdown on all religious buildings build without proper documentation and proceeded with the demolishing all of those that had not followed the due protocols. Amongst the buildings that were destroyed there were also a couple or so of mosques and even Muslims scholars in Angola admit and accept that these destroyed mosques were build on land not allotted for a mosque.
The way this news has spread like wildfire is a BIG reminder again to everyone out there that everything we read and see on the internet is not true and must be fact checked and verified before it is shared (especially when it has got anything to do with a sensitive topic that can lead people to react emotionally). This is not just moral obligation but a Quranic requirement, mentioned explicitly in Surah Hujrat.
It is equally sad that Muslims continue to abandon the great legacy our Prophet (saw) about due procedure being followed for constructing a mosque. When the Prophet came to Medina he bought the land on which Masjid Nabawi was built, although being the Prophet of Allah no one would have challenged him if he had build the mosque ANYWHERE, but he set the precedent so future generation of Muslims would do the same.
Yet through out the Muslim world, the trend of Muslims erecting mosques in non-designated areas and sometimes even illegally acquired land is rampant. And when these illegal mosques are later brought down a huge hue and cry is raised in the name of "disrespecting houses of worship". Surely building it illegally in the first place is much greater disrespect? When will Muslims learn?
The government had simply started a crackdown on all religious buildings build without proper documentation and proceeded with the demolishing all of those that had not followed the due protocols. Amongst the buildings that were destroyed there were also a couple or so of mosques and even Muslims scholars in Angola admit and accept that these destroyed mosques were build on land not allotted for a mosque.
The way this news has spread like wildfire is a BIG reminder again to everyone out there that everything we read and see on the internet is not true and must be fact checked and verified before it is shared (especially when it has got anything to do with a sensitive topic that can lead people to react emotionally). This is not just moral obligation but a Quranic requirement, mentioned explicitly in Surah Hujrat.
It is equally sad that Muslims continue to abandon the great legacy our Prophet (saw) about due procedure being followed for constructing a mosque. When the Prophet came to Medina he bought the land on which Masjid Nabawi was built, although being the Prophet of Allah no one would have challenged him if he had build the mosque ANYWHERE, but he set the precedent so future generation of Muslims would do the same.
Yet through out the Muslim world, the trend of Muslims erecting mosques in non-designated areas and sometimes even illegally acquired land is rampant. And when these illegal mosques are later brought down a huge hue and cry is raised in the name of "disrespecting houses of worship". Surely building it illegally in the first place is much greater disrespect? When will Muslims learn?
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